Gilles Robert de Vaugondy*; 1688-1766.
Didier Robert de Vaugondy, son; c1723-1786.
Charles François Delamarche, successor; 1740-1817.
Vaugondy, related to the Sanson family, inherited a wealth
of cartographic materials in 1730 at Pierre Moulard Sanson's
passing away. He had also acquired most of the plates and
maps of Hubert Alexis Jaillot upon his death in 1712. With
ample revisions, corrections and additions, this was the basis
for his major work: "Atlas Universel" first printed in 1757,
and later reissued in 1783 and 1793.
Worth mentioning is also the "Atlas portatif" in 1748-1749.
His son produced in 1761 the famous "Part de l'Amérique septentrionale",
and later a "Nouvel atlas portatif".
Delamarche, corrected and revised as necessary to continue
publish quite a few of these works (e.g.: "Nouvel atlas portatif"
of 1806); often giving prominent credit to his source (which
may be misleading in some cases).
* Gilles is often marking his maps: Le Sieur, or: Monsieur
Robert.
Amerique
septentrionale dressee sur les relations les plus modernes
des voyageurs et navigateurs, ou se remarquent les Etats Unis.
This large map (23 5/16" X 19"), published by Didier (the
son), is the fifth state of the original map produced by Gilles
(the father) in 1750. All the five states generally exhibit
the same delineation. They differ only in the successive addition
of place names, specially in Canada and in the Mississippi
basin. This last state shifts the cartouche to the left side,
to make room for an inset depicting the northwest coast.
In spite of the lack of credibility of Admiral Vicente de
Fuente with respect to his 1748 observation of a deep water
opening; a "straight of Anian", note that this map stills
keeps alive the possibility of such a "Northwest passage".
Note also that there is no more any indication of a possible
"sea of the west", making a large dent in the Washington/Oregon
coast.
This map was obviously edited to reflect the political changes
resulting from the second treaty of Paris in 1783. However,
note how some border lines of the newly independent United
States have been left to interpretation.
In particular, Florida's west limit is shown here as the Perdido
river. While the spaniards understood it as being the Ibeville
river (western border of the english West Florida). After
the Louisiana purchase in 1803, this difference of interpretation
will lead to the 1811 revolt of the colonist of that area,
and later to the 1817 annexation of this land in the newly
formed Alabama Territory.
Note also the 'frayed" look of the Florida peninsula.
No text on verso.
|